Blazin Bones
Member
This was the rough draft, I've since edited a ton of gramar mistakes, but I don't have that file on this computer.
Mark 4:1-2, describing the scene
Through out his ministry, Jesus taught many people and many things. He was considered by many Jews at that time as a Rabbi, or a teacher. In the passage of Mark 4:1-9, we again find Jesus teaching all those who would listen. This passage is also paralleled by Matthew 13:1-9, and Luke 8:4-8.
“(1) He began to teach again by the sea. And such a very large crowd gathered to Him that He got into a boat in the sea and sat down; and the whole crowd was by the sea on the land. (2) And he was teaching them many things in parables, and was saying to them in His teachings,†Mark 4:1-2 (NASB)
So let’s look at the scene this verse describes. First it tells us that Jesus was teaching by the sea. This sea was most likely the Sea of Galilee. Then the writer tells us that a very large crowd had gathered to Jesus. So Jesus gets into a boat and sat in the boat to teach. “Here the boat not as a means of escape, but as a pulpit.†(Brooks 79) This event is also said to have taken place near the town of Tiberias. (Geneva) We also find that Jesus had been teaching more things than just this parable. The writer of Mark also mentions a very large crowd. There are no fair estimates to the exact size of the crowd, but there are a few ideas as to where the people of this crowd had come from. “…and there was gathered unto him a great multitude; which followed him from the house, and from other parts of the city, and perhaps from the adjacent places:†(Gill) This means that most likely the crowd had come from the city Tiberias and the other nearby cities.
Mark 4:3-9, the text
“(3) ‘Listen to this! Behold, the sower went out to sow; (4) as he was sowing, some seed fell beside the road, and the birds came and ate it up. (5) Other seed fell on the rocky ground where it did not have much soil; and immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of soil. (6) And after the sun had risen, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away. (7)Other seed fell among the thorns, and the thorns came up and choked it, and it yielded no crop. (8) Other seeds fell into the good soil, and as they grew up and increased, they yielded a crop and produced thirty, sixty and a hundredfold.’ (9) And he was saying ‘He who has ears to hear, let him hear.’ â€Â
Why this Parable?
The first question one may ask is why Jesus chose this parable to teach to this specific crowd. Some suspect that he chose this parable because Christ knew what situation this crowd would understand. “The text takes us with a large crowd to the slopping hillside beside the lake where the grain fields run down to the water. Fishermen and farmers can watch each other at their work, and scenes from the life of either would be familiar images to the other.†(Williamson 90)
Others suspect Jesus was literally pointing to a sower at work. “Even as He talks, Jesus sees a sower busy sowing seed in the fields beside the lake. ‘Look!’ He said, ‘The sower went out to sow.’ †(Barclay 88) As Barclay suggests, its possible Jesus used this parable partially because he had a visual for the crowd to relate the teaching to. These are the explanations that fit most logically with the text of the passage.
What was Jesus trying to teach His listeners?
This is one of the few parables Jesus actually gave an explanation to. Jesus told his listeners what this parable meant in Mark 4:13-20.
“(13) And he said to them, ‘Do you not understand this parable? How will you understand all the parables? (14) The sower sows the word. (15) These are the ones who are besides the road where the word is sown; and when they hear, immediately Satan comes and takes away the word which has been sown in them. (16) In a similar way these are the ones on whom seed was sown on the rocky places, who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy; (17) and they have no firm root in themselves, but are only temporary; then, when affliction or persecution arises because of the word, immediately they fall away. And others are the ones on whom the seed was sown among the thorns; these are the ones who have heard the word, (19) but the worries of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. (20) And those are the ones on whom seed was sown on the good soil; and they hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold.’ â€Â
So there we have it. Jesus is comparing a sower’s seed to the spreading of the word. The only point of interpretation that is argued by scholars is the number of soils. Some figure that there are four distinctions made by Jesus, and thusly four soils. The soil by the road, of the rocks, of the thorns and then just good soil are four clear and separate examples.
Others suggest that since there are just two results, there are only two types of soil. “… (I)t is important to note that there are not really four types of soils, as it might appear at first, but only two. There is unproductive soil, three examples given, and productive soil, again with three examples (4:8). The figures thirty, sixty, one hundred, refer to three examples of productive soil, and indicate the increase in grain harvested over grain sown in the field.†(Hurtado 72)
My personal interpretation stands in the middle of these two views. In my eyes there are four types of soil that yield two different results. My understanding is based on the fact Jesus did measure the soils productivity by there fruitfulness. Jesus only mentions two results, fruitful and not fruitful. However, unlike Hurtado, I think there are three examples of soil that is unproductive and the one example of productive soil. While Hurtado says the three amounts are three example of the productive soil, I see these three amounts as Christ revealing to us how different people will yield different results. However, each amount is still productive and therefore it is fruitful.
However many soils you see, the main message remains the same. While there are some who will hear the message and be fruitful, there are still others who will hear the word and not be fruitful. That is what Christ was trying to teach his listeners, thus the number of soils is truly not that significant.
Comparisons to Parallel Texts
This parable is also paralleled by Matthew 13:1-9, and Luke 8:4-8. Prior to Luke’s account, we see Luke introducing some of the women who were traveling or serving with Jesus. We also see that at the end of Luke 7, see that Jesus was teaching Simon the parable of the two debtors. In Matthew and Mark, Jesus is teaching his listeners that those who live the word of God are his brothers and sisters. The Gospel of Luke has this teaching after the sower parable. This shows that we are not completely aware of the order of these teachings. Luke also states that Jesus was traveling around from town to town, while Mark and Matthew seem to suggest that Jesus had been in this town for a little while before he gave this message. In my opinion, the placement of the teaching does not take away from the fact that it was taught.
Comparison to other texts in Mark
This parable is rather unique in comparison to the other parables in Mark and in this chapter. “Unlike the other Markan parables, this one is not introduced with the formula ‘the kingdom of God is like.’ It doubtless describes, however, reactions to Jesus’ preaching of the kingdom (cf. 1:15). It also differs from the others in that it alone is accompanied by an explanation.†(Brooks 79) We aren’t sure why Jesus used a different style, but I personally don’t think too much of the difference.
Relevance to the church of then
For the church of the early Christians, this parable almost seems to be given to prepare the Church. The message tells us that all who hear the message will react differently. This was important to the Church of then because they were responsible for spreading the gospel.
Relevance to the church of today
Today, the message of the sower parable can be applied a bit differently. Now, many will compare this to those who accept the message, instead of the overall spreading of the message. We use the sower parable to describe different stages of a Christian’s life. While this is not the original meaning of the parable, many would think this meaning is just as good.
Relevance to me
For me, this parable takes on more of the first meaning. First, Jesus told us what he was trying to say, so why try to find another meaning. The other reason I lean toward the first interpretation is because I feel called into the field of evangelism. As I’ve witnessed to people, I’ve seen these reactions to be the normal four reactions.
Mark 4:1-2, describing the scene
Through out his ministry, Jesus taught many people and many things. He was considered by many Jews at that time as a Rabbi, or a teacher. In the passage of Mark 4:1-9, we again find Jesus teaching all those who would listen. This passage is also paralleled by Matthew 13:1-9, and Luke 8:4-8.
“(1) He began to teach again by the sea. And such a very large crowd gathered to Him that He got into a boat in the sea and sat down; and the whole crowd was by the sea on the land. (2) And he was teaching them many things in parables, and was saying to them in His teachings,†Mark 4:1-2 (NASB)
So let’s look at the scene this verse describes. First it tells us that Jesus was teaching by the sea. This sea was most likely the Sea of Galilee. Then the writer tells us that a very large crowd had gathered to Jesus. So Jesus gets into a boat and sat in the boat to teach. “Here the boat not as a means of escape, but as a pulpit.†(Brooks 79) This event is also said to have taken place near the town of Tiberias. (Geneva) We also find that Jesus had been teaching more things than just this parable. The writer of Mark also mentions a very large crowd. There are no fair estimates to the exact size of the crowd, but there are a few ideas as to where the people of this crowd had come from. “…and there was gathered unto him a great multitude; which followed him from the house, and from other parts of the city, and perhaps from the adjacent places:†(Gill) This means that most likely the crowd had come from the city Tiberias and the other nearby cities.
Mark 4:3-9, the text
“(3) ‘Listen to this! Behold, the sower went out to sow; (4) as he was sowing, some seed fell beside the road, and the birds came and ate it up. (5) Other seed fell on the rocky ground where it did not have much soil; and immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of soil. (6) And after the sun had risen, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away. (7)Other seed fell among the thorns, and the thorns came up and choked it, and it yielded no crop. (8) Other seeds fell into the good soil, and as they grew up and increased, they yielded a crop and produced thirty, sixty and a hundredfold.’ (9) And he was saying ‘He who has ears to hear, let him hear.’ â€Â
Why this Parable?
The first question one may ask is why Jesus chose this parable to teach to this specific crowd. Some suspect that he chose this parable because Christ knew what situation this crowd would understand. “The text takes us with a large crowd to the slopping hillside beside the lake where the grain fields run down to the water. Fishermen and farmers can watch each other at their work, and scenes from the life of either would be familiar images to the other.†(Williamson 90)
Others suspect Jesus was literally pointing to a sower at work. “Even as He talks, Jesus sees a sower busy sowing seed in the fields beside the lake. ‘Look!’ He said, ‘The sower went out to sow.’ †(Barclay 88) As Barclay suggests, its possible Jesus used this parable partially because he had a visual for the crowd to relate the teaching to. These are the explanations that fit most logically with the text of the passage.
What was Jesus trying to teach His listeners?
This is one of the few parables Jesus actually gave an explanation to. Jesus told his listeners what this parable meant in Mark 4:13-20.
“(13) And he said to them, ‘Do you not understand this parable? How will you understand all the parables? (14) The sower sows the word. (15) These are the ones who are besides the road where the word is sown; and when they hear, immediately Satan comes and takes away the word which has been sown in them. (16) In a similar way these are the ones on whom seed was sown on the rocky places, who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy; (17) and they have no firm root in themselves, but are only temporary; then, when affliction or persecution arises because of the word, immediately they fall away. And others are the ones on whom the seed was sown among the thorns; these are the ones who have heard the word, (19) but the worries of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. (20) And those are the ones on whom seed was sown on the good soil; and they hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold.’ â€Â
So there we have it. Jesus is comparing a sower’s seed to the spreading of the word. The only point of interpretation that is argued by scholars is the number of soils. Some figure that there are four distinctions made by Jesus, and thusly four soils. The soil by the road, of the rocks, of the thorns and then just good soil are four clear and separate examples.
Others suggest that since there are just two results, there are only two types of soil. “… (I)t is important to note that there are not really four types of soils, as it might appear at first, but only two. There is unproductive soil, three examples given, and productive soil, again with three examples (4:8). The figures thirty, sixty, one hundred, refer to three examples of productive soil, and indicate the increase in grain harvested over grain sown in the field.†(Hurtado 72)
My personal interpretation stands in the middle of these two views. In my eyes there are four types of soil that yield two different results. My understanding is based on the fact Jesus did measure the soils productivity by there fruitfulness. Jesus only mentions two results, fruitful and not fruitful. However, unlike Hurtado, I think there are three examples of soil that is unproductive and the one example of productive soil. While Hurtado says the three amounts are three example of the productive soil, I see these three amounts as Christ revealing to us how different people will yield different results. However, each amount is still productive and therefore it is fruitful.
However many soils you see, the main message remains the same. While there are some who will hear the message and be fruitful, there are still others who will hear the word and not be fruitful. That is what Christ was trying to teach his listeners, thus the number of soils is truly not that significant.
Comparisons to Parallel Texts
This parable is also paralleled by Matthew 13:1-9, and Luke 8:4-8. Prior to Luke’s account, we see Luke introducing some of the women who were traveling or serving with Jesus. We also see that at the end of Luke 7, see that Jesus was teaching Simon the parable of the two debtors. In Matthew and Mark, Jesus is teaching his listeners that those who live the word of God are his brothers and sisters. The Gospel of Luke has this teaching after the sower parable. This shows that we are not completely aware of the order of these teachings. Luke also states that Jesus was traveling around from town to town, while Mark and Matthew seem to suggest that Jesus had been in this town for a little while before he gave this message. In my opinion, the placement of the teaching does not take away from the fact that it was taught.
Comparison to other texts in Mark
This parable is rather unique in comparison to the other parables in Mark and in this chapter. “Unlike the other Markan parables, this one is not introduced with the formula ‘the kingdom of God is like.’ It doubtless describes, however, reactions to Jesus’ preaching of the kingdom (cf. 1:15). It also differs from the others in that it alone is accompanied by an explanation.†(Brooks 79) We aren’t sure why Jesus used a different style, but I personally don’t think too much of the difference.
Relevance to the church of then
For the church of the early Christians, this parable almost seems to be given to prepare the Church. The message tells us that all who hear the message will react differently. This was important to the Church of then because they were responsible for spreading the gospel.
Relevance to the church of today
Today, the message of the sower parable can be applied a bit differently. Now, many will compare this to those who accept the message, instead of the overall spreading of the message. We use the sower parable to describe different stages of a Christian’s life. While this is not the original meaning of the parable, many would think this meaning is just as good.
Relevance to me
For me, this parable takes on more of the first meaning. First, Jesus told us what he was trying to say, so why try to find another meaning. The other reason I lean toward the first interpretation is because I feel called into the field of evangelism. As I’ve witnessed to people, I’ve seen these reactions to be the normal four reactions.
